Four Women
by scoutfinches
Summary: Four women in an Indiana retirement home form a small, silent truce. Each of them have pills, special pills which when taken, make then ten years younger. But really, will they be able to turn back time in the Twilight Zone?
1. Chapter 1

_Misfortune landed her here. According to her family's values, a destiny given by God._

She was weak and decrepit. Old, sick, and just not able to live on her own anymore.

The story went a bit like this:  
She went to a routine doctor's checkup one afternoon. The man told her horrible news as she had blood work done two weeks earlier.

 _"Missus McClellan, you have Parkinson's Disease. Its in its early stages, so don't fret. I only ask you of one thing right now. And then, I'll handle the rest."_

"What is it, doctor?"

"You have to move to a retirement home. As soon as possible."

She let her daughter take her cat and major belongings before moving into the new place, the Meadows of Monroeville. The retirement home was brand new, and the Ohio-bordering, Indiana small town was blessed with a boost of employment and prosperity.

While the patients faltered, more people moved to the town for work, including two stepsisters who had formerly lived in the Allen County seat, Fort Wayne.

One was tall, blonde, and had a more quiet disposition. The other was short, brunette, and was loud and passionate about the line of work she shared with her stepsister.

The blonde was named Melissa. She wore two things with pride more than anything else. Her Irish heritage and her collection of lipsticks, which Tonya, our decrepit old woman and Parkinson's sufferer, critiqued almost every single day.

Kelly was the brunette. Though not Irish in heritage, she boasted bright beautiful colors where she could put them on her navy nurse's uniform. She tried her hardest to serve the ones she cared for at the meadows and was loud and outspoken.

Despite their differences, Melissa and Kelly were not only sisters by marriage, but best friends as well.

Tonya stayed at the meadows for five long years, until the day she turned seventy-six, with Melissa and Kelly caring for her every step of the way.

She loved them, but she never showed it. She was cantankerous, like every elderly woman in a retirement home. Not only that, but she loved to show off the petunias in her window basket, even when Kelly and Melissa were really the ones who tended to them.

One rainy, humid June morning, Tonya was woken and began her usual routine. Melissa was the one in charge of her that day. Kelly was off of work.

"She's got a bad cold. I heard her coughing this morning... Bless her soul!"

Tonya was first given her morning medicines and fed a warm oatmeal breakfast by Melissa. Then, she was given a quick sponge bath and got dressed in clean clothes before she was wheeled out to the lobby.

"Now, just stay right here while I get everything ready for your blood pressure test. It shouldn't take long." Melissa explained, while Tonya looked at her.

"You look pale as a ghost." Tonya said back. "That color's too red for you."

Melissa wasn't taken aback and laughed. "You said it the last time I wore it! I'll be back in a few. Just sit tight with a few of your friends."

"I don't have friends."

Tonya tried to, but her eyes wandered as they always did. And they landed close to a group of three other women playing chess.

The women were almost instantly aware of her stare and immediately began heading over. One walked on two feet. The other walked with a walker and the last, most mysterious one wheeled herself over with a wheelchair.

The healthiest one was also the youngest. She had red, graying hair and wore lots of cheetah print. From the looks of it, nothing was wrong with her. Nothing at all. Tonya would have to dwell deeper into that.

It also seemed these women formed a clique, a group, and that this woman was the leader. Just like the much younger people confined to care together, the high school students.

The one with the walker was about Tonya's age. She was healthier than Tonya still, and it looked like her legs were injured in some freak accident, and that she was getting back in her feet. Literally.

Finally, the woman in the wheelchair. She was at least ninety and had many wrinkles to show her age and wisdom. She seldom spoke to anyone and was very taciturn. She was lucky to be alive, the way Tonya saw it. But then yet again, so was she.

The red head, the only one with colored hair, spoke up.

"We want to show you something."

The younger, yet old woman wheeled Tonya to their chess table and took out a bag. A bag that would normally hold marbles.

"How old are you, Tonya?"

"Seventy-six."

"Great. You'll need six!"

She opened the back and counted in her hands six opal colored pills.

They were created in a lab at Yale University by a woman named Jane Solomon. She was a smart, smart, and most likely the smartest person there. More so than any male colleague. Due to her gender, they never noticed her true skill and left her invention alone. Now, at least ninety, she watched as one more and one final person was to be included in the test run.

"Take this tonight with your other pills. Take two a night if you forget. I promise this'll the best deed someone's ever done for you!" Harriet, the red haired woman told her.

"Oh.. All right. Thank you." Tonya held the opal pills in her hand, before putting them in her pocket as best as she could.

Before she could think of anything else to say, Melissa walked in and wheeled her away.

"I knew you had friends. I just knew it."

 _Tonya only scoffed at her, marveling in the beauty of the opals in her pocket._


	2. Chapter 2

Melissa headed home for the evening and another nurse, a taciturn man by the name of Ryan, helped care for Tonya. He always did when the others were gone. And he never said much of anything.

He looked more like a teacher than a nurse, which baffled a few of the old ladies at times. He wore black rimmed glasses and had his black hair short and cleanly cut. Another aspect of him that confused them was a more simple one. That being the fact that he was a nurse. A male nurse. To them, it wasn't feasible.

He placed her evening pills in front of her.

"Take them in order, the show me when they're gone." Ryan told her.

Normally, Tonya had problems with taking her medication. Her diagnosis of Parkinson's disease not only shook her faith of God, but also took away her will to live or do anything.

The spectrum of anything included to take medicine.

"I'm just going to die anyway."

But this evening, she took them all and swallowed them too. She never objected to Ryan. Not as she had when he took the night shift, that is.

He was in shock. He did a quick inspection underneath her tongue and found nothing.

His eyes widened when he realized she finally obeyed him.

"I hope you have a good night, Missus McClellan." He ran, and then stumbled out of the door.

Tonya then swallowed one last pill. The opal colored pill, and contrary to her belief, it took it's effect immediately.

Her reflection was visible on the television screen in her room. The age on her face began to wipe away, well, most of it, and her energy sprung right back in her. And lastly, for that day, her feet didn't ache anymore. In other words, she was able to walk.

Shock, happiness, and joy filled her as she ran into her bathroom to look in her mirror. She flicked on her light switch and saw a younger, healthy, happier Tonya.

She covered her lips to keep her scream in. And finally, she went back to bed again.

She couldn't wait for the next day and the next flip backwards.

She couldn't wait to be young again. She was excited. She could reclaim her life, and take back everything Parkinson's disease took from her.

And it was all thanks to, of course, Jane Solomon. And in a different context, Harriet and Rose (the woman in the walker) as well.

The evening beckoned a good night's sleep for Tonya, but not for Rose.

Rose, well, had prior knowledge to this whole affair. Long before she put her wrinkled hands on one of the opal colored pills.

She wasn't supposed to take one until the next evening, and stared at the ceiling of her room, which was covered with glow-in-the-dark stars for the many sleepless nights since her accident.

She and Jane were friends. They grew up in the lakeside town of Frankfort, Michigan, together. Rose was the first test subject for the medicines, which were mailed to her from Yale, and she had taken prototypes on multiple occasions. But most of them cause her to revert backwards to the much older age of Jane Solomon.

Until one evening, tragedy stuck. She was driving down the famous M22 Highway, where her car crashed and skidded right into the waters of Lake Michigan. Right by the Dunes and Point Betsie.

The car was totaled and so were her legs. She survived the accident, and shockingly enough, that in turn caused the medicine to finally begin working. Though it cost her the mobility she once had, it took away thirty years of her aging and also gave her better use of her lungs and immune system, parts of her body that had ailed over the years.

She was never able to walk without the assistance of a walker since. Due to her true age, she had broken connections with her family, who sent her further away to Indiana to be treated, in the small town of Monroeville. Where she remained for the past two years.

There, she reunited with Jane and they discussed the medicine.

 _She didn't recognize me at first. Ha!_

The broken and severed ties of their friendship were mended, and they together searched for new candidates to test the medicine, which was still hidden from prying eyes.

The women they chose had things in common with them. Values, principles, and life stories. All of which were full of struggle, loss, and depression in the own right. Each were similar, yet different.

Rose's story started early in her life, when her mother died of a heart attack when she was only six years old. Years later, unbeknownst to her, she suffered a bout of depression and attempted suicide, right around the time Jane left to study at Yale.

Time passed, at least another twenty years, and she went through many note tribulations. Two marriages, two children, and two divorces.

And none of them affected her life anymore. The children moved away, the husbands remarried, and she get nothing.

And she still had nothing.

Dawn arrived more slowly than anticipated, and when she woke, she went through a routine similar to Tonya's. She ate breakfast, took medicines, and had a bath before making her way to the recreation room to meet her entourage.

Harriet was already there and was drinking a cup of coffee.

"You think it worked?" Harriet asked her, obviously referring to Tonya.

"I don't know. Let's wait. We'll see."

It was a while before Tonya arrived, with Melissa in tow. Melissa was pushing her in the wheelchair.

"I told you that the medicine would do you good! Miss Tonya, you already look ten years younger!"

Tonya laughed, and the women had their mouths gaped open wide.

It worked.

"Oh, you were right. I'm sorry I was so stubborn."

"Its fine, but I'm proud of you. Kelly will be ecstatic. Anyway, got speak with your friends for a little. I have to organize prescriptions."

Jane was a little late, the last to arrive. She showed no emotion, but was more than happy to see the results.

 _It's working, it's finally working!_

Harriet put her hand on Tonya's shoulder, "What did I tell you?"

"You told me right, definitely."

"Oh, dear, you look marvelous! I can't wait for my turn."

The ladies continued conversation, as Kelly and Ryan switched places.

They said quick good mornings to each other, and discussed the exciting event of the night before. Well, one in their eyes.

"Kelly, did you know that Tonya _didn't_ refuse her medicine last night?" Ryan asked, as she looked over her colleague's charts.

"No way! That's amazing!"

"Its like she's got more motivation to live.. I can't quite explain it."

"Oh, wow. That's awesome!" Kelly squeezed Ryan in a big hug. "Have a good day, okay! Get plenty of sleep."

"Okay! See you tomorrow!" Ryan left and Kelly formally took her place.

"I swear, she already looks ten years younger. That medicine does real good, doesn't it?"

Truly, she was. And Kelly was oblivious.


	3. Chapter 3

The day, other than the talk about Tonya, was uneventful for Kelly.

She ate a good lunch with her sister, full of vitamin C to rid her of her remaining symptoms of her cold.

Now, she was just finished putting Tonya to bed. She, Tonya till looked ten years younger, but waited not so patiently for Kelly to leave.

"Again, I'm amazed what those medicines can do. Just one day, and you already look so much better. I think maybe I better get on a regimen took, huh?"

From her bed, Tonya looked at Kelly. That day, she wore bright, beaded necklaces in all colors of the rainbow. And she had bright pink tennis shoes to match.

"It's done me good, so I think it should do you the same. It's time for me to go to sleep..." Tonya fake yawned and smiled at Kelly. "Goodnight, dear."

Kelly laughed, "Goodnight, Tonya!"

Immediately afterwards, Tonya took her opal pill out of her drawer and swallowed it dry. She ran over to the mirror to see how her face changed.. Again.

Her aging lessened even more, and almost every wrinkle was gone for good. Except for her crow's feet, which she figured would go away the next day. She went back to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Rose was in her own room, just completing her own routine. She couldn't fathom the idea that she was testing this medicine. Again.

She quickly put the pill to her lips, and prayed that Jane remembered her own.

She was unsure if it had worked, and preferred to assume what she had all those years ago. In other words, she wanted and did assume that the medicine wouldn't work, even if it had on Tonya. And the thought of it, the medicine, caused her to stay awake.

The morning arrived and with came all three nurses of importance. That being said, one of whom, Kelly, went to care for Jane one morning. Which sometimes, for her, was an occasional responsibility.

She walked in the room and sponge bathed the elderly woman. She went into the drawer to get a towel when she found something astonishing.

A mason jar. A jar which was full of opal colored, oblong pills. But to Kelly, they looked like something completely different.

"I didn't know you had jelly beans! Can I have one?"

Jane's eyes widened. "No!"

"Why not?"

Jane had to come up with an excuse. Quick.

"My sister sent them to me... She.. Made them."

"Oh! I'm sorry.. I'll get you a towel. Hold on."

Kelly got the towel and cleaned up her patient. Now, Jane was ready to take on the day. Well, to the best of her ability.

She had to oversee the results of yet another day of testing, and was unaware of the duties another nurse, Ryan, had to take care of that very day.  
Ryan, being the only male nurse of the facility, faced a but of stigma at times. His presence as a _male_ nurse wasn't always taken well by the senior citizens he cared for. But then yet again, working in a retirement home in small town Indiana probably wasn't his vest option.

Due to all of these factors and the fact that he was close enough to a few of the patients, he was told to clean and organize their drawers. For the sake of his paycheck, he began his duties with grace.

Simultaneously, Jane finally got to see both Tonya and Rose.

Tonya was more confident, and both Melissa and Kelly again complimented her on her almost complete agelessness. All of the women were pleased with her results, deeming it okay for Harriet to start her turn at the medication. And for Jane to hurry up and take a few herself.

At this point, it doesn't seen surprising that Rose's medication worked that last sleepless night. Her cheeks were rosier already, and this strange pill was bringing positivity, vitality, and stability to these women's lives.

Jane was sure then and there, she perfected the formula.

At the same time, Ryan got around to Jane's room. Her had moved just about everything to new places, as it seemed that Jane's system of organization was very unorthodox. Very... Well, _un_ organized.

Except the mason jar. He assumed that Jane had hoarded some jelly beans from the past Halloween party. He thought it was just because she didn't want to share any. He knew at times she could greedy. _Very_ greedy.

He was close to her. Just enough to maintain a small friendship. He figured that it wouldn't hurt to take just one, little jelly bean. Would it?

He carefully opened the jar and grabbed a 'bean'. Then, he shut it back tightly again.

He popped the 'bean' in his mouth. He cringed at the taste of it as he chewed. He tried as hard as he could to not think of the horrible medications he took as a boy, because that's exactly what it tasted like to him.

He took that daily sensation and put all twelve years of it into a mere two seconds. He thought it was horrendous.

He rushed to spit out the medicine, and ran to Jane's sink.

When he got there, rinsed the taste out of his mouth, and looked in the mirror, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

A sixteen year old boy was staring right back at him, covered in acne and an untamed, unkempt, small and spindly mustache.

That sixteen year old boy was sixteen year old Ryan Kepler.


	4. Chapter 4

His voice was heard loud and clear, and Melissa was shocked to find him.

At first, there was no way to tell that this boy was in fact, for sure, Ryan. There was no way in the world, she thought, that this teenager was the young, male nurse she once knew as Ryan Kepler.

But he was. His clothes were all slightly baggy on him, and both the scrubs and name badge confirmed his identity.

"What happened?" Melissa was almost speechless, showing complete shock upon her finding.

"I don't know... I ate one of Jane's jelly beans.. They're in the left drawer.. In a mason jar. And I just... Ended up like this."

"Do you know how?"

"No. And I'm going to have to ask Jane to explain this, and change me back. Sure, when I said that I wanted to be a kid again, it was true. But not like this. Not like this at all.."

"Oh dear!" Melissa stared at Ryan, still baffled. He looked nothing like his former self, well, his *older* self, that is.

She searched for the "jelly beans" and found them immediately, not as hidden as they should have been.

"Well, I'll make sure to inform the others not to touch these. I'll drive you home during the lunch break. You need a day off!"

"Thank you..." Ryan shivered at the thought of him looking the way he did. Like a kid. And he was disappointed for many reasons.

First of all, he claimed he was hideous in his high school years, and waited for a long time to become an adult. And now, it seemed that time had turned the clock backwards, and he'd have to wait all over again. Just when his life had been really starting too.

Second, his wish wasn't so literal. What he meant was that he was tired of work. He was tired of the twelve hours he put on his card on weekdays and sometimes Saturdays. And on occasion, holidays too. He wanted to have no responsibility of any kind, even for one day, where he could sit back and relax. He didn't want to have to begin a new life all over again, and start a new career. He couldn't, he thought, there was no way!

All of these thoughts caused him to panic. He ran away from the room to find Jane, and Melissa went right after him.

The four women were in their usual spot, in a huddle by the window playing chess and watching soap operas. The latest development on _The Bold & The Beautiful_ interested them quite a bit, since it involved Harriet's favorite character.

Their enjoyment was interrupted by a frazzled Ryan, who scared Jane at an instant. She knew _exactly_ what had happened to the unfortunate male nurse. She motioned for him to sit next to her on an uncomfortable plastic chair.

"Do you know what happened to you?" Rose questioned him. She was never much of a talker or a socialite in any standard. This time, it was an emergency. She had no choice.

"Yes... I think I do. I'm scared.. My life is over!"

"No, your life isn't over. Not in the slightest." She exuded wisdom, and Ryan felt it come over him like a blanket.

"I can't go back, can I?"

"No. You'll have to start over. But with starting over, you'll get a second chance. At college, at love, and at life. These things would have never been granted to you otherwise. You're a fortunate man, Mister Kepler. Very fortunate indeed."

"I like my life the was it is... Can't you understand that?"

"I wish I could fix that for you... My antidote is in Frankfort, if you really want to drive that far to get it. And I'm not even sure it works anymore."

Ryan jumped at the thought of the antidote. "How do I get there? Where is it?"

Jane's hands shook and she reached for a pen and a small piece of paper, and she wrote down an address. That address was to her house in Frankfort. She also told Ryan the key was in her room. He knew where he had moved it and rushed to grab the key. He took the address and drove away from work without hesitation.

Jane figured there was one true thing that was _good_ about the situation.

That one thing was the fact that she'd remember her medicine that night. She'd escape to Fort Wayne, and the other women would follow in suit.

Melissa never heard exactly _what_ was said to to her co-worker. She just knew one thing.

That old, silent woman had the secret to immortality right in her bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryan was on the famous Highway 69, on his way to Michigan. He was just passing the Michigan border when The Meadows called his cell phone.

He ignored the call, thinking of more urgent matters. He pressed on into Michigan, knowing he had another good five hours of driving ahead of him. As he drove, the message played through his car radio. He had one of the newer models, a Chevrolet.

"Hello, this is your boss, Doctor Mindy Michaels, from The Meadows of Monroeville Retirement Home and Rehabilitation Center. I'm calling regarding your sudden illness, which was reported by a fellow employee. Due to this said illness, we will be granting you ten days off of work. If you do not come back before or after the end of this time, we will begin the search for a new employee to take your place. We hope you get well and back to work soon! Our employees are very important to us, have a wonderful afternoon!"

Ryan sighed, hoping and praying the antidote would work. His parents knew nothing, and would refuse to believe his claim. His whole world would crash around him if it didn't work, he just knew it.

He kept his eyes on the road, and his mind on the antidote.

It was all he could do.


	6. Chapter 6

The day at The Meadows was uneventful, for the most part.

The women finished their soap opera and moved on to sewing, and then back to chess. Tuna casserole was the dinner, and for dessert was a piece of white, vanilla cake.

After their nighttime duties, Melissa and Kelly went home for the evening to rest.

This left all of the residents with their nighttime caregivers, well, except for Ryan. By that time, he was just pulling into the borders of Benzie County, where Frankfort was located.

As Ryan saw the sign welcoming him to town, Harriet held the pill in her hand, ready to take.

She was more apprehensive, due to the fact that Ryan was distressed over the results. But he didn't mean to become young, she, however, did.

She put the medicine in her mouth before she could change her mind. She felt everything fall into place.

She didn't want to see herself just yet, so, she laid in bed, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

She thought of her life, in the best context she could.

Her childhood was perfectly normal. Nothing was ever wrong between her parents, her eight other sisters, most of whom were older, and the other family in her life. After high school, she eloped with a man named Henry McMillan, a tall, handsome man who was ten years older than her. All was well for a while, they had a daughter and a wonderful marriage for years.

Well, it _was_ wonderful until her youngest sister came of age. Sixteen. She was booted out of the family home and Harriet invited her to move in with herself and Henry. Harriet, pregnant with another child at the time, was busier than ever making preparations and was always out of this house. This factor alone, gave Henry and Harriet's sister, Harelda, plenty of time to know each other.

One evening, coming home early from a doctor's appointment, Harriet was greeted with a not so pleasant surprise.

Henry and Harelda were getting to know each other on a _romantic_ level. Henry was having an affair with Harelda, obviously. And this devastated Harriet, more than anything ever had in her entire life.

The first thing she did was take her daughter. She took the girl, Cheryl, out of the home to live with herself and her parents, who had offered to have her stay until she found a new husband, or bought a new house herself. That being said, it did _not_ mean they were at all supportive of the idea of Harriet raising her daughter alone without a paternal influence.

She and her daughter were just settling into their new living situation when she went back home to gather her belongings. It was later in the evening, after Cheryl went to bed. She snuck in the back door, knowing all too well she wasn't allowed into the home.

She was almost done taking the last of her things when Henry caught her leaving the house. He was _furious_ and began beating her, with no warning. At the time, they were standing in the kitchen, and she ended up stabbing him in the shoulder as a result. He had no serious injuries, and felt one last inkling of love for his estranged wife, and decided not to report the crime.

He and Harelda were expecting a baby, so he decided to keep them both from any stress. It wasn't needed, not by any standard.

Despite Henry letting Harriet off of being charged for attempted murder, she miscarried her child. She tried hard to forget about the ordeal, but with Harelda being her own sister, it was impossible.

Harelda came over to family events, dinners and holidays with Henry in tow. Her parents disapproved almost immediately. Henry was more than twenty years older than her. And by the time Harriet finally began to have a serious relationship with another man, Henry and Harelda had six children. All of whom were only a year apart each.

This brand new man in Harriet's life was much different than the last. He was sophisticated and worked as a lawyer. He always wore suits, even on everyday endeavors. And she was finally becoming happy again. One day, a few years after they met, he had asked her to marry him, and she accepted. The wedding was planned and the dress was purchased when tragedy struck.

He was driving Cheryl to school one day when a car began tailgating them. He tried to avoid the driver behind him, but the man caught up with him almost instantly. When they drove over the Saint Joe River, the man crashed into their car and caused it to drive through the railing of the bridge. As a result, both Cheryl and her future stepfather died in the accident.

This really, truly affected Harriet for the worse. She was devastated and had to be carried out of the funeral home after the dual service was finished. She began to suffer severe depression, and it stopped her from being able to do everyday things. Over the years that followed, her depression subsided and a new issue arose. A new mental illness.

Schizophrenia.

She began seeing and hearing voices, both ones with names and ones without. She was admitted to the psychiatric hospital multiple times before she was switched over to The Meadows of Monroeville, and she was the youngest patient there.

When she was finally falling into a deep sleep, she saw an image of her youngest sister, Harelda.

Harelda was seventeen, and she held her oldest child, a son named Henry Junior, in her arms. She laughed at her sister as she laid in bed.

"No matter what, you're not as beautiful as me! You never will be! _I_ got your husband! He's mine! He's mine!"

She tried to hurt Harriet, and it worked. She hid her face underneath her blanket, but she still heard harsh words.

What hurt Harriet was not what happened with Henry. No, not at all. What hurt Harriet was the fact that her own sister betrayed her in that way. And the truth was, it didn't matter anymore. Henry and Harelda got a divorce also. And guess why?

That's right! Henry went after an even younger girl, a fifteen year old. That third time, the relationship faltered and Henry was left without a woman for the rest of his life. He tried to pursue multiple young women until he ended up in jail. Permanently.

Because of that, the sisters forgave each other. Harelda found a new husband and raised her six children with him. And later, with that man, she had two more.

Still, Harriet cried herself to sleep. Being newly young again didn't cease her pain. It didn't matter. It never did.

As Harriet cried, Ryan searched. He had gotten into Jane's home successfully. Her young great niece lived there, and gladly let him in. She helped him find her aunt's attic laboratory.

More mason jars were lined along the windows. They were all labeled accordingly.

 _Pill #1, unsuccessful. Antidote #1, unsuccessful._

When he found that she had tried over forty times to prefect the pill, he found the correct antidote jar.

 _Antidote #47, still testing._

The antidote pills were much different in color and shape, as to set them apart from the others. They still had the beautiful, mystical opal shine, but had a circular shape. He took no time to take a pill and swallow it dry.

Shockingly, contrary to Jane's statement, he began to age again. He was back to his normal self in no time, and the great niece was amazed to see him transform before her very eyes.

She looked at him for a long while, and even swooned.

 _Wow! He's cute!_

"I can't believe it!" She shouted, jumping for joy. "Aunt Jane's formula worked!" She gave Ryan a big hug, squeezing him too tightly and holding him for too long. He accepted her gesture anyway, and thought she was beautiful.

He did the second he walked in, and he was hoping to be able to spend more time with her.

"I know.. I thought those pills were jelly beans when I saw them in her drawer.." He laughed, "Thank you for letting me in. I bet at first I gave you a scare."

The great niece blushed. "No problem! And you weren't scary... You were just a little awkward, that's all."

"Yeah.. I was. I'm sorry about that. Well, I have to head home now.. I've got work tomorrow."

Ryan was about to head to the door when he was stopped.

"I have a guest room! You can stay the night if you like!"

Ryan stood by the door, appalled.

"You don't mind?"

"No. Not at all!" Her long, brown hair bounced as she nodded her head. "Come on! Sit on the couch! I want to know you better."

Ryan followed her into her living room, and he sat at an appropriate distance from her.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Ryan. How about you?"

"My name's Millie. Millie Solomon. Well, I guess you know that. I'm guessing you live in Indiana?"

"Yeah. I do. How old are you?"

"Twenty-three. I can tell you're a bit older.. But I don't mind. I like more mature guys."

It was obvious they had mutual attraction, and they really hit it off.

 _That stupid pill did me good... Hopefully, it'll do Jane good too._

The two of them kept talking throughout the night. And after the sun rose, they did again in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

The nurses and other patients became suspicious. They were for a while, but it came clear the day Ryan experienced his predicament.

He drove to Frankfort, and so far, he hadn't come back.

A call was only given to Kelly to indicate he arrived in town, and nothing else happened since.

Tonya looked as young as Harriet, and so did Rose. It also seemed even Jane had more of a young look to her.

She took three of her pills, but hadn't caught up just yet.

Melissa and Kelly were alarmed to see just _how_ much they turned back time, and wondered exactly _how_ those pills made it happen.

They tried slowly to pry the secret from them. Knowing that Kelly would get more out of them, they agreed she was to be the one to try first.

The plan was formulated on a drive back to the facility, when they were arriving back from lunch.

Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album played in the background of their entire conversation, and later, their silence on the way back to work. Melissa _loved_ Springsteen with all her heart and soul, and at times, Kelly was a bit annoyed by it.

The interrogation began in the middle of a chess game. A big match between Tonya and Jane, the grand finale to the big tournament. Kelly sat and crossed her legs, pretending to be interested in the game.

"You can play in the next round if you want." Tonya offered.

"No thanks." She answered. "So... That medicine must be _really_ working, huh?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Well, tell me, what's you're secret?"

"What do you mean?"

"By tomorrow, you'll look younger than I am! What's the secret?"

"I don't know, ma'am. It is what it is."

Jane's king took out Tonya's pawn, and she had to renew her strategy .

"It's not what it is. Did you see what happened to poor Ryan yesterday? He turned into a sixteen year old boy! And God knows how or why! I don't know what it is, but those damn jelly beans are what are making you all so young and vivacious! And I might have to get my hands on a few. And I know just the way to do it."

Jane knocked out the remaining of Tonya's pieces and won the game. She stared at Kelly and smirked. Not only was a thirty-five year old woman wearing pigtails, but she also figured out her secret.

"If you decide not to tell a soul, even an old one, I'll give you a few. And they're pills. You swallow them. So, Kelly, do we have a deal?" Jane was firm and sat tall. She wanted to make sure Kelly nor Melissa would spread the rumor around. The other patients suspected things already, and thought they were witches. Some of the men even thought of creating a cross to burn them on. In other words, they weren't exactly fond of the idea. Not at all.

"We have a deal. We do. And I think everyone here knows anyway. I won't spread it outside these doors."

Jane grinned, "And help us escape, when we're young again. I almost forgot to mention it."

"Again, it's a deal."

Hands were shaken and the exchange was over. Kelly picked up some of the pink pills and never spoke a word to them for the rest of the dry, summer evening.


	8. Chapter 8

Plenty of pill exchanging and pill popping occurred during the next few days. The four women dared not to expand the secret from themselves, Ryan, and the stepsisters, but found it hard. They confined themselves to their rooms as their younger age became more apparent, and then, on a more chilly evening, it was finally time to plan the big escape.

It was of course, Kelly's responsibility. and the idea of the whole thing, for a while, seemed absurd.

Why did she need to help them? What was her reasoning? She knew they'd get caught before the day's end, she just knew it.

Knowing how her job worked, she knew someone, if not her, checked up on them on an often basis. Seeing a sixteen year old girl in any of those rooms would shock the other nurses and cause a major lockdown.

Her plan was well written and elaborate, and everything both Kelly and Melissa wrote down always was.

But here's just a summary. Even an omniscient narrator can't obtain _all_ of the information!

 _First, go from "oldest to youngest". One by one, let them know it's happening. Take the pills and help the women climb out the windows. Then, viola! My end of the bargain is met!_

A much more elaborate plan was written on a piece of paper and burned in the facility's fireplace. Nobody else could know, and Kelly made sure of that. All she and her sister had to do for the day was wait for the sun to go down, and also, search for new jobs on their cell phones. They planned to quit working at The Meadows, and planned to pursue an education on a field they loved more than nursing, but never got a chance (due to unsupportive parents) to ever even look at.

English.

Life would look up, and things would change for the better because of this ordeal.

Not just for them, but for Ryan as well.

In Michigan, Ryan was falling in love, and he was falling fast.

He decided to stay in Franfort, because after what happened, he knew he couldn't go back anymore.

Calls from his greatest friends from work explained they were quitting as well, so he realized it was his chance out.

The pay was good, yes, and so was the location, close to his family. Despite that, he was miserable in his workplace. He was just... Well, unhappy. It was strenuous work, and he was tired of being on his feet.

So, he applied for work at a family practice in Frankfort. It was a beautiful place, and his family agreed to help him move there. They agreed to help him move due to Millie, because they had waited "far too long" to find a girlfriend.

That afternoon, he and Millie were walking across the sands of Crystal Lake. He he held her hand, and she stayed close to him.

"Are you really moving here?" Mille asked, dreaming of the possibility.

"Of course! I've got nothing left in Indiana anyway. I don't want to go back.. I found a new home here."

"Already? Do you mean it?"

Ryan took Millie's other hand. "Of course I do."

She laughed, "Ryan, I love you. I really, really, love you."

"Well, I love you too!" He then kissed her lips.

The waves crashed over their feet, and for them, the clock ticked. Time was springing forward. But for the four women, time was falling back.


	9. Chapter 9

The night had finally arrived, and Kelly ran to Jane's room. She woke the newly young, beautiful woman from her bed. She began to open the wind and felt the breeze from the window.

"Go. Quick." It was all Kelly said to Jane as she climbed out the window, with lightness she never had before.

She turned her head, and hee long, beautiful blonde hair turned with it.

"Thank you."

The women never saw each other again.

Tonya was next, and Kelly roused her out of bed. She fell asleep waiting for the big day.

Her eyes lit up, and she left all on her own, only giving a nod of her head as thanks.

It wasn't like her by any standard. But then yet again, Kelly thought, she had been different since she started taking the pills. It didn't concern Kelly much, and she hoped only the best for this woman, one she had grown close to.

And she admitted, he would also be one that would be missed.

She woke Rose and Harriet, and Rose left without a single word. Harriet did as well, and then, she women ran.

Their clothes no longer fit their bodies, and wind flew through their hair.

"I'm free! I'm free!" Tonya grasped Rose's hand in her own, and felt an euphoria she hasn't felt in years.

One that brought her to spin in circles, and the other women, well, girls, followed in suit.

They were young, they thought, they could have fun. They could do whatever they wanted and whatever they dreamed of.

Then, Jane stumbled on the ground. She tried to pick herself up, but couldn't. She convulsed on the ground for a few seconds, when then caused the others to panic.

Before they knew what was happening, Jane stopped moving completely.

She was dead.

Tonya fell next, then Rose, and lastly, Harriet.

All had died, and all had aged as well.

It turns out that you can't turn back time. Jane Solomon never perfected her formula after all.

Time only springs forward, it always has. There never was such a thing as springing back.

 _No, reader, not in the Twilight Zone._


End file.
